Do
you wonder who might be targeted by this vast, interconnected system? The
three categories of suspects are:

1.
Foreign terrorists abroad

2.
Foreign and domestic terrorists in the US

3.
Potentialdomestic terrorists

Much
of the Homeland Security focus is on the last category. In its chapter on
"Domestic Counterterrorism," a White House document titled "The
National Strategy for Homeland Security" states:

"The
attacks of September 11... have redefined the
mission of federal, state and local law enforcement authorities.... Law
enforcement agencies... should now assign priority to preventing
and interdicting terrorist activity within the United States."[1]

Notice
the word "preventing."
It is important, because it shifts the public emphasis from catching
criminals to exposing potential
terrorists. It also shifts our government's administration of justice from
the judicial and legislative branches to the executive branch.

Many
have tried to define a "terrorist". Some definitions are so
open-ended that almost any conservative or home-schooling parent could be
suspect. The Homeland Security Act is more precise. Section 2 defines
"terrorism" as any activity that--

(A)
involves an act that --

(i)
is dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critical
infrastructure or key resources

(ii)
is a violation of the criminal laws of the United
States...and

(B)
appears to be intended (i)
to intimidate or coerce a civilian
population;

(ii)
to influence the policy of a government by
intimidation or coercion; or

(iii)
to affect the conduct of a government by mass
destruction....

Reading this definition, you and I
have every reason to feel safe. Right? But with
today's emphasis on prevention,
our leaders have prepared lists of potential terrorists. What might they
be looking for? Or rather, who
might -- in their eyes -- be want to use
violence to "intimidate or coerce
a civilian population" or "influence
the policy of a government"?

In
Muslim lands, an author who wrote a contrary book would be guilty. But
what about in America?

Would
lobbyists be suspect? Christian organizations?
Radio hosts? Parents who home school their children?

The
FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs)
gives us some clues. The White House's National
Strategy explains the part played by the JTTFs
in Homeland Security:

"We
will build and continually update a fully integrated, fully accessible
terrorist watch list. When
we have identified any suspected
terrorist activities, we will then use all the tools in our
Nation's legal arsenal... to stop those who wish to do us harm.

"...the
FBI is expanding the Joint Terrorism
Task Forces, now operating in 47 field offices, to all 56 FBI
field offices by August 2002."[2]

One
of those 56 FBI field offices -- located in
Phoenix
,
Arizona
-- printed a three-fold flier several years ago. The back panel introduces
the JTTFs mission: "...the purpose
of this information sheet is to assist uniformed patrol officers in
identifying potential domestic terrorism. Domestic terrorism is defined
as: Groups or individuals operating entirely inside the
US
, attempting to influence the
US
government or population to effect political or social change by engaging
in criminal activity."[3]

The
front panel states, "If you
encounter any of the following, call the Joint Terrorism Task
Force." Its list of suspects justifiably included "Hate
Groups" such as "Skinheads, Nazis, Neo-Nazis (usually recognized
by tattoos), KKK, White Nationalists...." But it also listed
some surprising suspects:

Right-Wing
Extremists

-'defenders'
of US Constitution against federal government and the UN (Super Patriots)

-
groups of individuals engaged in para-military
training

Common
Law Movement Proponents

-
No drivers license

-
Refuse to identity themselves

-
Requests authority for stop

-
Make numerous references to US Constitution

-
Claim driving is a right, not a privilege

-
Attempt to "police the police"

Single
Issue Terrorists

-
Lone individuals

Do
you still feel safe? I smile as I ask that question, for I may well be
listed in their vast, integrated system
of databanks tracking American suspects. Some years ago, a federal
investigator in
New Mexico
heard a local radio program discussing the United Nations and its agenda.
He went to the station, interrogated the staff and included questions
about previous guests. One of the two names he mentioned was mine.
Apparently, we were suspect because we valued the US Constitution and
exposed the power, purpose and influence of the United Nations. [4]

If you wonder why "lone
individuals" would be listed, read The
UN Plan for Your Mental Health. Al Gore summarized the
"danger" in a 1992 address to a Communitarian meeting in
Washington
,
DC
. He said, "Seeing ourselves as
separate is the central problem in our political
thinking."[5]

To
make sure no one is "separate" or "lone," the
community programs you saw earlier have been designed to involve every
person in group dialogue. As stated in the "National Strategy”:

"All
of us
have a key role to play in America's war on terrorism. ... In
order to defeat an enemy who uses our very way of life as a weapon--who
takes advantage of our freedoms and liberties--everyAmerican must be willing
to do his or her part to protect our homeland."[6]

The vast network of homeland surveillance

According
to the Department
of Homeland Security, its SecretaryTomRidge will, by fall 2003, have
170,000 employees in his department: "The DHS will serve as a central
hub of intelligence analysis and dissemination, working with agencies
throughout the federal government such as the FBI, CIA, NSA, DEA, the DOD
and other key intelligence sources."

Although
his wife, MicheleRidge, is not
an official "partner," she will serve his purpose as
"the hired national spokeswoman" for Communities
That Care (CTC). According to an article titled, "Mrs.
Ridge promotes survey on sex, drugs,"
the CTC
"developed the youth survey used in more than 400 communities
nationwide to collect personal information from students to help local
governments justify federal and foundation grant applications."[7]Majoring
in "the field of prevention
science," the CTC
is a "complete prevention planning system for a healthy
community" provides "hands-on
training" in leadership, community planning, "strengths
assessment," implementation and evaluation -- all the TQM skills and
technology needed to transform a community and measure compliance. [8]

In
contrast to the silent, behind-the-scenes work of the CTC, the following
agencies and offices were officially
transferred to DHS: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S.
Secret Service, Coast Guard, Customs Service, Transportation Security
Administration (TSA), Federal Protective Service (FPS), Office of Domestic
Preparedness (ODP) and Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC).

Specific
functions were transferred from the FBI, the INS, Departments of Justice,
Defense, Health and Human Services, Commerce, Energy and Agriculture.

No
one mentioned the "Secretive
U.S. Court"
established in 1978 by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act [FISA].
An article in the San Francisco
Chronicle described its power:

"Cloaked
in secrecy and unknown to most Americans, a seven-judge court has been
busy in a sealed room at the U.S. Justice Department approving 'black
bag' searches, wiretaps and the bugging of homes in the interests of
national security.
The court, which has been operating for more than 20 years, has approved
more than 10,000 government applications for clandestine searches and
surveillance of foreigners, immigrants andU.S.
citizens -- and
only one request has ever been denied.

"In
its anti-terrorism proposals, the Bush administration is asking Congress
for a broad
expansion of the enormous powers already granted to
the executive branch under the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
Act [FISA].... "Civil liberty advocates say they fear the
government will take advantage of the administration's proposed change
and use the pretext of intelligence gathering under FISA to go after
other criminal activity, making an
end run around the stricter Fourth Amendment protections in criminal
law.... They argue that the
total secrecy of the process has eliminated any public accountability
to ensure that the process is not being misused."[9]

With the additional power and authority granted our President by the USA
Patriot Act and the Homeland security Act, the
FISA Court
fades in significance and shock value. With today's technology, there are
few limits to the ways that our government can manipulate, monitor and spy
on American citizens without our knowledge. And as our government's right
to personal information expands, the taxpayers' right to be informed
shrinks. So it's not surprising that the Justice Department would draft a sequel
to the Patriot Act with "sweeping new power."
Were they trying to guard this secret bill until a greater crisis would
set the stage for its acceptance?

While
America
's founders built a government that would be accountable
to the people, this monstrous new system turns the old
Constitutional safeguards upside down. Today the
people are accountableto
unthinkable policies, rules, regulations and politically correct values,
while much of our government hides its words and intentions behind a veil
of secrecy.

Again,
Al Gore sheds light on this revolution. Of course, his system of
government control would be marketed to the masses under the banner of the
"environmental crisis" rather than today's current crisis:

"Adopting
a central organizing principle – one agreed to voluntarily – means
embarking on an all-out effort to use every
policy and program, every
law and institution, every treaty and alliance, every tactic and strategy,
every plan and course of action – to use, in short, every
means to halt the destruction of the environment . . . .

"Minor
shifts in policy, moderate improvement in laws and regulations, rhetoric
offered in lieu of genuine change—these are all forms of appeasement,
designed to satisfy the public’s
desire to believe that sacrifice, struggle and awrenching
transformation of society will not be necessary."[11]Emphasis
added

A Biblical perspective

In
the midst of these changes, our God still reigns! Nothing escapes His
watchful eyes. Nothing happens that doesn't in some way serve His plan.
Nothing touches His people but through
His love and for our
ultimate good.

He
tells us that our battle is not "against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
Ephesians 6:12-13

Evil
is not simply militant terrorists who would destroy
America
or the Communist leaders in
North Korea
who defy UN agreements and mock our military forces. Evil is far more
subtle. It is in us and all
around us. It holds us
captive and it blinds us to the truth. That's why Jesus gave His life to
set us free.

Two
of the most dangerous evils we face are (1) the popular illusions that
replace reality in our minds and (2) the psycho-social strategies that
immunize our minds to God's unchanging truths. Both are vital to the
three-pronged "quality management" system that has risen like a
monster out of the sea and is spreading its tentacles into every part of
this planet.

To
stand firm against these and other forces that deceive and destroy, please
see Brainwashing
& How to Resist It. Know the tactics and how to resist. Then pray
that God guide our leaders, guard our freedom, equip our children and
protect our homes. Remember, when we trust and follow God, He makes us
"more than conquerors" through Christ. Romans 8:37

Berit
Kjos is a widely respected researcher, writer and conference
speaker. A frequent guest on national radio and television programs,
Kjos has been interviewed on Point of View (Marlin Maddoux), The 700
Club, Bible Answer Man, Beverly LaHaye Live, Crosstalk and Family
Radio Network. She has also been a guest on "Talk Back
Live" (CNN) and other secular radio and TV networks. Her
last two books are A Twist of Faith and Brave New Schools.Kjos
Ministries Web Site: http://www.crossroad.to/index.html